overtourism

American  

[oh-ver-toor-iz-uhm] / ˌoʊ vərˈtʊər ɪz əm /

noun

1. a situation in which too many tourists travel to a popular destination, causing the place to suffer negative environmental, economic, and sociocultural impacts.

   From packed viewpoints to water shortages, Santorini is the most visible face of overtourism in the Greek islands.

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Etymology

Origin of overtourism

First recorded in 1990–95; over- ( def. ) + tourism ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

overtourism

Fora's Jonna Robertson, for her part, is counting on a seasonal redistribution, with trips to hotter countries taking place in spring or autumn, in order to avoid both overtourism and exhausting temperatures.

From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026

Xiaohongshu-driven travel has caused issues including overtourism at viral spots and businesses becoming too dependent on platform traffic, Lai told AFP.

From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026

The city is so synonymous with overtourism that some travelers have sworn off it completely—yet even amid cruise ship bans and entry fees for day-trippers, crowds keep coming.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 2, 2026

City officials have a similar plan to avoid the overtourism trap.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2025

"Bali is a crucible in a lot of ways of overtourism," she says.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2025